Amendment to SEBI Act okayedNew Delhi, October 28
The government today decided to bring in ordinances for amending the SEBI Act and repealing the UTI Act.The Union Cabinet at its meeting here chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee gave its approval for the two ordinances to be brought in.

India not to make bio-arms: Kalam
Bangalore, October 28
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam asserted today that India would not make biological weapons, saying that “it is cruel to human beings.”“We will not make biological weapons. It is cruel to human beings,” Dr Kalam, the “missile man”, said in
response to a question during an interaction with students at the Al-Ameen Educational Society here.

Army headquarters to go hi-tech soonNew Delhi, October 28
The Indian Army is incorporating a highly advanced decision support system, enabling commanders of “formation” headquarters to access, amongst others, details of resources and the time required for their shipment to various points, according to defence sources.

Congress in no hurry on UPNew Delhi, October 28
The Congress seems to be in no hurry to respond to the Samajwadi Party’s efforts to form on alternative government in Uttar Pradesh.
A day after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPM leader Harkrishan Singh Surjeet met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress leaders said they would have to weigh long-term interest of the party before deciding the issue.

An eight-year-old girl sits on a leaf at a lily pond in
the Botanical Garden, Kolkata, on Monday.
— PTI

SP hums different tune on HardwarHardwar, October 28
Now the Samajwadi Party is singing a different tune on the issue of Hardwar’s exclusion from the newly carved hill-state of Uttaranchal. It is to be mentioned that the party, along with the BKU of Chaudhary Mahendra Singh
Tikait, had adopted a belligerent posture on the issue and launched a prolonged agitation for the restoration of the district to the parent state of UP.

LS byelections along with Gujarat poll
New Delhi, October 28The byelections to three Lok Sabha constituencies one each in Gujarat, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal and five Assembly constituencies one each in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam along with three in Rajasthan will be held simultaneously with Gujarat Assembly elections on December 12, the Election Commission announced today.

George inaugurates tallest stupaDehra Dun, October 28
Defence Minister George Fernandes today inaugurated the world’s tallest stupa “Descent from Heaven,’’ expressing hope that one day the Tibetans would be able to return to their homeland.

Hindujas allowed Divali abroadNew Delhi, October 28
Granting a major relief, the Supreme Court for the first time today allowed all three Europe-based Hinduja brothers, accused in Bofors pay off case, to go to London for a month to enable them to celebrate Divali with their families.

Probe ordered into bomb hoax callPatna, October 28
It was a happy ending in the end. The “news” that a bomb was planted in a Sahara India flight at the Patna airport turned out to be, happily, a hoax. But it seems difficult to believe that the whole drama was enacted by a senior police officer who wanted only his relative and a journalist with a TV news channel to “break it first”.

New Delhi, October 28
The Indira Gandhi International Airport police picked up a Bangladeshi national today for interrogation on suspicion of being a terrorist after the Civil Aviation Ministry here got information that he was travelling by Bangladesh’s Biman Airlines.

A passenger plane of Bangladesh's Biman
Airlines stands at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport
on Monday. — Reuters photo

14 killed as crackers explodeKolkata, October 28
Fourteen persons were killed and 20 others seriously injured when a blast took place today morning at a house near Rampurhat town in Birbhum district, about 180 km from here. Many of the victims of a family are stated to be supporters of the Congress.

India for consensus on DDCCNew Delhi, October 28
Close on the heels of Russia’s statement expressing inability to ratify the Kyoto Protocol at least up to a year, India today stepped up efforts for evolving a consensus on the Delhi Declaration on Climate Change.

Hearing on PIL against Togadia on Nov 1New Delhi, October 28
The Delhi High Court today posted for November 1 hearing on a petition seeking initiation of criminal proceedings against VHP leader Praveen Togadia for his alleged utterances against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and minorities.

HC notice on conversions
Chennai, October 28The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on a petition by a Christian missionary challenging the recently promulgated anti-conversion ordinance on the ground that it violated freedom of religion as guaranteed under the Constitution.

Jet gets Asia’s best airline awardNew Delhi, October 28
Jet Airways has been unanimously voted as the “Best Domestic Airline” by readers of Travel Trade Gazette Asia and TTG China of 14 countries in the region.Forming part of the TTG Travel Awards, 2002, this latest honour was conferred on Jet Airways, at a special ceremony in Bangkok, jointly organised by TTG Asia Media and Incentive Travel and Conventions Meetings Asia (IT and CMA).

New Delhi, October 28
The government today decided to bring in ordinances for amending the SEBI Act and repealing the UTI Act.

The Union Cabinet at its meeting here chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee gave its approval for the two ordinances to be brought in.

Briefing newsmen after the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said repealing the UTI Act would enable the government to split the troubled organisation into two, a decision which was taken earlier by the Government.

As a result of the splitting of the country’s largest mutual fund, the UTI-I would remain as the old protected organisation comprising only of the US-64 for which assured repurchase prices had been announced and the return scheme assured.

The new UTI (UTI-II) would comprise all other net asset value (NAV)-based schemes. It would also have a professional chairman and would be run as a private mutual fund. The Board of Trustees would also, in the due course of time, be privatised.

The government would meet its obligation annually to cover any deficit in UTI-I and it would be managed by a government-appointed administrator and a team of advisers nominated by the government.

Amendment to the SEBI Act would provide to the market regulator limited search and seizure powers for offences like market manipulation by companies.

The government had also decided to expand the SEBI board to nine members from the existing six as part of measures to strengthen the market regulator.

“The recent experiences of SEBI have shown the Limitation of the SEBI Act. Therefore, the Union Cabinet has decided to expand the board from six to nine members. This will include three whole-time members other than the Chairman,” Finance Secretary S. Narayan said.

He said all the sums realised through penalties and fines by SEBI would go to the Consolidated Fund of India. Besides, the Securities Appellate Tribunal would have three members drawn from serving or retired judges of the Supreme Court or high courts for empowering the tribunal to compound offences.

The ordinance in this regard would be sent to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for his assent, he said.

Bangalore, October 28
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam asserted today that India would not make biological weapons, saying that “it is cruel to human beings.”

“We will not make biological weapons. It is cruel to human beings,” Dr Kalam, the “missile man”, said in
response to a question during an interaction with students at the Al-Ameen Educational Society here.

Defending India’s missile, nuclear and other defence programmes, Dr Kalam said: “Peace will come if the country is strong. Strength respects strength.”

Asked if he believed that war and peace could co-exist, he observed “Strength comes from economy and defence.”

History had proved that India was invaded by foreign powers because it was weak in defence, he said.
PTI

New Delhi, October 28
The Indian Army is incorporating a highly advanced decision support system, enabling commanders of “formation” headquarters to access, amongst others, details of resources and the time required for their shipment to various points, according to defence sources.

The project code-named ‘Samhavak’, developed by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), for the Indian Army, is aimed at integrating operations, intelligence, logistics and terrain, under a single fold and making it available to various battalion HQs through WAN/LAN network.

CAIR is believed to be in an advanced stage of negotiation with a Bangalore-based CDC Linux software firm for developing a prototype model, financed by the Ministry of Defence.

Once the negotiations are over, development of the model is likely to be completed within eight months, they said.

“A team of CAIR officials will have talks with the software firm somewhere in the last week of this month for finalising the deal,” they said.

As per rough estimates, the cost of the prototype model could be anywhere around half-a-billion rupees.

The move is aimed at automation of the functioning of Corps Zone of the Infantry arm of the Indian Army, especially in view of the large-scale deployment and redeployment of troops and materials owing to a “fluid” situation across the Indo-Pak border.

Through this system, a commander could access details on the stock of “specific” resources at a particular location, the time needed for trans-shipment of resources and the adequacy of the contingent plan, they said.

Sources said the four functional areas — Operations, Intelligence, Logistics and Topography — are under different stages of integration under the project.

It is understood from the sources that CAIR is having talks with CDC Linux for developing the core model linking other areas and make it operational in LAN/WAN (Large Area/Wide Area Network) system.

The system is expected to be designed in such a way that it will be able to integrate Corps Zone with the Battalion HQs by multiple LAN/WAN connectivity.
PTI

New Delhi, October 28
The Congress seems to be in no hurry to respond to the Samajwadi Party’s efforts to form on alternative government in Uttar Pradesh.

A day after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPM leader Harkrishan Singh Surjeet met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress leaders said they would have to weigh long-term interest of the party before deciding the issue.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the party had not taken any decision on its future course of action in Uttar Pradesh.

The parleys were held in a cordial atmosphere yesterday, but a decision is yet to be taken in this regard, he said.

AICC Treasurer Motilal Vora, who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh, said the UP Governor had stated that the BJP-BSP coalition enjoyed a majority but if the state government fell the party would do what was in its best interest.

The Congress today welcomed as “thumping and resounding vindication’’ of the party’s stand the
judgement of the Supreme Court on the presidential reference on Gujarat as also the poll schedule announced by the Chief Election Commissioner.

Mr Singhvi said the party was ready for Gujarat elections.

Mr Singhvi said the Congress was against the continuance of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as there was apprehension of government machinery misused.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said an NDA minister, who had stated that there would be a constitutional crisis if the elections in Gujarat were not held on October 6 and that the EC order about election in Gujarat was unconstitutional, had been proved wrong.

He said Mr Modi wanted the Assembly elections to be held in October to take
advantage of the political situation.

Hardwar, October 28
Now the Samajwadi Party is singing a different tune on the issue of Hardwar’s exclusion from the newly carved hill-state of Uttaranchal. It is to be mentioned that the party, along with the BKU of Chaudhary Mahendra Singh
Tikait, had adopted a belligerent posture on the issue and launched a prolonged agitation for the restoration of the district to the parent state of UP.

However, after facing a rout in the last Assembly elections, the party’s enthusiasm on the issue seems to have vanished.

The changed attitude of the party was clearly reflected in what the state chief of the party, Mr Ram Singh Saini, told mediapersons at Roorkee last evening. The issue of separating Hardwar from Uttaranchal depends on the wishes of the people and the party can take up the issue, if the majority of the people of the district are interested in excluding it from the hill-state, he said.

This ambiguous attitude of the party is in complete contrast to the aggressive posture adopted by the party before the Assembly elections. The same ambivalence was reflected in what Mr Ambrish Kumar, national General Secretary of the party, said here a few days ago.

However, party leaders flay the “discriminatory” policies pursued by the state government against the hill-districts, including Hardwar. Whether it is recruitment of Sub-Inspectors or constituting the Press Accreditation Committees or appointments in the Secretariat, the state government is giving “step-motherly” treatment to Hardwar district, said the state party chief.

He said the party would hold a demonstration in the state capital against this “discrimination”.

New Delhi, October 28
The byelections to three Lok Sabha constituencies one each in Gujarat, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal and five Assembly constituencies one each in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam along with three in Rajasthan will be held simultaneously with Gujarat Assembly elections on December 12, the Election Commission announced today.

Chief Election Commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh said in consistent and clear policy of the Commission, the byelections were being held at the earliest to ensure that no segment of the population was left unrepresented.

The byelections will be held in the Mehasana constituency of Gujarat following the death of Congress member Atmarambhai Patel, resignation of Mr N. D. Tiwari, (Congress) from Nainital and Mr Babulal Marandi of the BJP from Godda on becoming the Chief Ministers of Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, respectively.

The five assembly constituencies where the bypoll will be held are Daporiji in Arunachal Pradesh, Khumtai in Assam and Bansur, Sagwara and Bali of Rajasthan, Mr Lyngdoh said.

The notification for the byelections will be issued on November 18 and the last date for filing nominations will be November 25.
UNI

Hyderabad, October 28
The Congress-PDP coalition’s decision not to implement the Prevention Of Terrorism Act
(POTA) in Jammu and Kashmir was fraught with dangerous consequences for the country and should be reviewed, chairman of All India Anti-Terrorist Forum
(AIATF) Maninderjit Singh Bitta warned today.
PTI

Dehra Dun, October 28
Defence Minister George Fernandes today inaugurated the world’s tallest stupa “Descent from Heaven,’’ expressing hope that one day the Tibetans would be able to return to their homeland.

The Defence Minister had laid the foundation of the stupa two years ago.

Unveiling the stupa, which stands 185 feet tall, he stressed the urgent need to restore peace and goodwill. “We live in a world infested with violence and not even a day goes by when one does not hear of innocent people being killed’’.

He said the “voice of the Dalai Lama is the lone voice in the world appealing for peace calling for the need to strengthen the voices of compassion’’.

The tallest stupa in the Doon valley dedicated to world peace would stand as a peace monument when the Tibetan people have returned to their home land, he said at Mindrolling Monastery in Clement Town here.

Referring to the glaciers crumbling and the rivers drying up in the Himalayas, he said a trans-Himalayan authority had been set up for the protection and development of the region.

His holiness Dalai Lama is currently touring the Doon valley and will be leaving tomorrow. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, the monastery is spread in 100 acres and houses several schools, a college for Buddhist studies and a monastery. Built in 1964, it was inaugurated by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she was Information and Broadcasting Minister.

The new stupa unveiled today on its outer facade depicts the legend of Buddha’s descent from heaven to earth.

Today’s ceremony was attended by thousands of Tibetans, including people from Bhutan, Laddakh and
Arunachal.
UNI

New Delhi, October 28
Granting a major relief, the Supreme Court for the first time today allowed all three Europe-based Hinduja brothers, accused in Bofors pay off case, to go to London for a month to enable them to celebrate Divali with their families.

A Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari allowed G.P. Hinduja, who at present is in India to satisfy the bail condition that one of the brothers must stay in the country, to travel to London from November 2 to December 2.

Since the surrender of the three Hinduja brothers in a city court in January last in connection with the Bofors trial, all of them had not been allowed to be out of the country together.

The Supreme Court, while granting them bail on the furnishing of bail bonds worth Rs 15 crore each, had directed that at any point of time one of the brothers had to be present in India.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani said there was no apprehension that they would abscond as they had huge business interest in India apart from family links.

Meanwhile Gopichand Hinduja, one of the brothers, has moved the Delhi High Court challenging an order of a Special Judge here dismissing his application.
PTI

Patna, October 28
It was a happy ending in the end. The “news” that a bomb was planted in a Sahara India flight at the Patna airport turned out to be, happily, a hoax. But it seems difficult to believe that the whole drama was enacted by a senior police officer who wanted only his relative and a journalist with a TV news channel to “break it first”.

The confusion only compounded with different versions about the incident. While some anticipated it to be a hoax call by a terrorist to divert attention from a target in the near future, the security agencies anticipated it to be a Civil Aviation “security drill”. Most others, however, felt it to be a mischief on the part of a mad man.

A section of the media here felt that the hoax call was made from the Patna airport and that it was done by “a senior police official” here to help his relative. They said this was the third time that such a trick had been played to make it possible for a particular news channel to “break the news first”.

The Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Syed Shahnawaz Hussien, said, “a high-level probe had been ordered. Whether somebody from Patna made the call or it came from elsewhere would be established soon.”

The airport officials admitted that the said “police official” was seen making long distance calls” for hours on Sunday morning and that the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) had got a message of the bomb being planted in the flight.

The Special Branch officials of Bihar,
however, said, “It looked like a security drill by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the hoax call was made only to assess the ground reality with regard to the safety measures at the Patna Airport. This “security drill” is done by the BCAS at regular intervals at different airports.

The DIG of CISF, Mr R.P. Thakur, said the bomb alert was sounded on the Sahara flight going to Mumbai after a call was received at the Lucknow office.

New Delhi, October 28
The Indira Gandhi International Airport police picked up a Bangladeshi national today for interrogation on suspicion of being a terrorist after the Civil Aviation Ministry here got information that he was travelling by Bangladesh’s Biman Airlines.

The police said the ministry received a fax message stating that a passenger occupying seat 24-A in the Biman Airlines flight no. BG097 was a “terrorist”. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Dhaka to Delhi.

The airport authorities were alerted and the passenger identified as Mohammad Ataur-Rehman was taken away from the airport. Rehman was to fly to Frankfurt and then to Lisbon, the police said.

Meanwhile, Joint Commissioner of Police (operations) A. S. Khan said Rehman was holding a Bangladeshi passport which was issued by the Bangladesh High Commission in Britain.

Allahabad, October 28
A Station Master, Naresh Chandra, and Meva Lal, a porter, escaped unhurt when three unidentified miscreants hurled crude bombs on them at the Ramchaura station on the Allahabad-Lucknow section, railway sources said today.

The bombs missed the target and exploded some distance away, the sources said.

Kolkata, October 28
Fourteen persons were killed and 20 others seriously injured when a blast took place today morning at a house near Rampurhat town in Birbhum district, about 180 km from here. Many of the victims of a family are stated to be supporters of the Congress.

The police said the incident took place when some people had been preparing crackers for selling before the Divali. However, an unconfirmed source said the crackers were being manufactured for selling these to the local anti-social elements.

New Delhi, October 28
Close on the heels of Russia’s statement expressing inability to ratify the Kyoto Protocol at least up to a year, India today stepped up efforts for evolving a consensus on the Delhi Declaration on Climate Change (DDCC).

Environment and Forest Minister T.R. Baalu circulated an informal proposal inviting suggestions, comments and inputs from the countries participating in the conference. The process of evolving a consensus on the DDCC also picked up momentum, with the circulation of a draft declaration to the participants of the ongoing conference.

Major issues of contention include targets for reduction of emission of greenhouse gases and improvement in the communications mechanism in what is called “reporting progress of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects” in developing countries.

Official sources here termed as “disappointing” Russia’s announcement that its Duma (Parliament) “is yet to study in detail the scientific, social and economic implications of the Kyoto Protocol and only the translation of the text has been done so far.”
PTI

New Delhi, October 28
The Delhi High Court today posted for November 1 hearing on a petition seeking initiation of criminal proceedings against VHP leader Praveen Togadia for his alleged utterances against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and minorities.

A Bench comprising Mr Justice Anil Dev Singh and Mr Justice R.S. Sodhi deferred the hearing of the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Anel Sirohi after he requested that the matter be taken up in the afternoon.

Besides seeking initiation of criminal and other proceedings under law against Mr Togadia, the petitioner sought a direction to the government to restrain him from indulging in such activities in future.

Mr Togadia’s remarks were directed to outrage the religious feelings of minorities and promote animosity among different communities and religious groups, the PIL alleged.

Accusing the VHP leader of spreading “politics of hate”, the PIL said his actions were without any regard to “decency, decorum, respect for law and has put the entire nation to shame”.
PTI

Chennai, October 28
The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on a petition by a Christian missionary challenging the recently promulgated anti-conversion ordinance on the ground that it violated freedom of religion as guaranteed under the Constitution.

Admitting the petition of 70-year-old Pastor Thangaraj seeking that the ordinance be declared null and void and unconstitutional, a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice B Subhashan Reddy and Justice C. Nagappan, issued notice to the state returnable in two weeks.

The petitioner, residing in Thiruvalluvar district, contended that the impugned October 5 “Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion” ordinance was detrimental to the social fabric of the nation.
PTI

New Delhi, October 28
Jet Airways has been unanimously voted as the “Best Domestic Airline” by readers of Travel Trade Gazette
(TTG) Asia and TTG China of 14 countries in the region.

Forming part of the TTG Travel Awards, 2002, this latest honour was conferred on Jet Airways, at a special ceremony in Bangkok, jointly organised by TTG Asia Media and Incentive Travel and Conventions Meetings Asia (IT and CMA).

Over 700 delegates from over 30 countries attended the awards function.

Jet Airways was chosen for this honour after being unanimously selected from an opinion poll conducted among the readers of TTG Asia and TTG-China that comprised travel agents and industry leaders of 14 countries in the region.

NATIONAL BRIEFS

FORT COLLAPSE KILLS TWO
MADURAI: Two boys were killed and two others injured when a portion of the ancient fort around Sri Azhagar Temple here built during the Pandya period collapsed on Monday morning. The police said all four were urinating near the fort when a small part of the fort collapsed and fell on them.
PTI

MAN FOUND DEAD IN POLICE STATION
COIMBATORE: A man was found dead in a police station of the district on Monday, the police said. It said the man was found hanging from the ceiling of a rest room by his ‘dhoti’. The man had been brought to the Chettipalayam police station on the outskirts of the city on Sunday night for interrogation in connection with a case.
PTI

GANG OF CHEATS BUSTED
AJMER: With the arrest of three persons here, the CBI has busted a gang of cheats, duping people in the name of providing jobs in the Army, the BSF and the police, official sources said here on Monday. Letters of appointment and documents containing roll numbers of the employment seekers were also recovered from them.
PTI

PESTICIDES KILL 2 PEACOCKS
MORENA: Two peacocks died in Shikarpur village of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday after consuming pesticides, an official said here on Monday.
PTI